A Knight of the Night
by TheFrankMaster
Summary: Skyrim – It's been a year since Alduin's defeat. The tension between the Empire and the Stormcloak Rebellion has increased greatly since then, leaving them blind to yet another threat beyond their control. When a mysterious entity starts to attack their cities, the Dragonborn must rise again to battle evil once more.
1. Fallen

**A minor change: the location at the very top. Similar to a change in the Agency stories.**

* * *

 _Chapter one: Fallen_

 **Palace of the Kings, Windhelm**

"What do you mean, 'Dawnstar has fallen'?" Jarl Ulfric asked. He was currently sitting on his throne as usual, giving the people before him a confused look.

Said people consisted of two mine owners – Leigelf and Beitild – and Jarl Skald the Elder. The trio looked as if they had been in the middle of a fight, with cuts and bruises on their bodies and tears in their clothing. The fight would likely have been with a ghost, as their facial expressions suggested that they at least had seen one.

Skald spoke up. "We were attacked," he said. "I think the three of us are the only survivors."

"Who attacked you?" Ulfric asked. "The Imperial Legion?"

"No," Skald replied. "This was…" he trailed off. Ulfric's eyes narrowed.

"Was what?" he impatiently asked. Skald swallowed, which was very unusual for the grumpy, somewhat assertive man.

"This was… different," he said. "This was one man. And he wasn't with the Legion."

" _One_ man?" Ulfric incredulously repeated. "You're saying that your guards couldn't stop _one_ man from turning Dawnstar into a ghost town."

"The guards were killed during the battle," Skald explained. "They fought our enemy in numbers but somehow lost. The intruder was very skilled in combat and magic."

"Could you see his face?" Ulfric asked. Skald shook his head

"He had a helmet that covered his entire head," he said. "We do know that his armor was made of what seemed to be a black-colored metal. His sword was of the same material."

"Was it ebony?"

"No. This was much stronger and probably lighter. No weapon the guards used could even scratch it, and it didn't seem to slow the attacker down."

"So we're dealing with an expert swordsman and magic user with indestructible armor," Ulfric summarized. "You sure you haven't been drinking?"

Skald's facial expression turned into a glare. Before he could retort, however, Beitild spoke up.

"My Jarl, with all due respect…" she said in an unusually humble voice. "There's one person we know of who can do this."

Ulfric's eyes narrowed once more and he leaned back in his chair. He obviously didn't like where the mine owner was going with her explanation. "And who might that be?" he asked.

Beitild swallowed. "About a year ago, someone appeared who claimed to be Dragonborn. They say he saved this world from its end, and that he disagreed with the Civil War here."

Ulfric nodded. "Yes. Vonkur is indeed a very powerful warrior and mage. But he would never betray us like that."

"My Jarl, with all due respect, I think he would. If it meant that the Empire and the Stormcloaks would work together to fight a mutual enemy…"

"I understand your suspicions, but I know that the Dragonborn is not a hypocrite. He doesn't go around slaughtering innocents, even if it meant ending this war" Ulfric interrupted.

"If you don't mind me saying, my Jarl," Leigelf said. "I think Beitild may have a point-"

Ulfric gave him a warning glare, shutting him up.

"We'll see what we can do to investigate this phenomenon." Ulfric said. He then looked at Jorleif, his steward. "Jorleif. Give these people some food and a place to sleep."

"Yes, my Jarl," Jorleif said.


	2. Attacked

_Chapter two: Attacked_

 **College of Winterhold, Winterhold**

Onmund was sitting on a bench in the Hall of the Elements, watching J'zargo and Brelyna do what he himself was actually supposed to do as well. The trio had just been taught a spell that allowed them to create a fireball, which exploded upon impact with an object or person once fired. Tolfdir was against the idea of teaching them, until Faralda reminded him that they needed to learn combat spells sooner or later – and if they weren't taught, the students would somehow get a spell tome eventually, which would likely lead to even more chaos.

Tolfdir – and elderly Nord wizard who reluctantly accepted the title of Arch-Mage after the actual candidate had refused it – had grumbled some incoherent protests before stating that someone had to keep watch when the students would practice the spell, and the other scholars – including Faralda, teacher in Destruction magic – had agreed on that.

J'zargo had been more eager than ever when he was told the news. Onmund and Brelyna had been excited as well, glad that they finally were going to learn something other than Restoration magic (much to Colette Marence's annoyance). Onmund had become tired rather quickly, however, and he could see that his fellow students were running out of Magicka too.

Brelyna eventually gave up and chose to sit next to Onmund on the bench, looking at J'zargo, who was still firing fireballs. His pace had slowed down drastically – likely due to his Magicka shortage – but this didn't stop the competitive Khajiit from showing off.

"I have to admit, he is pretty diligent," Onmund said as he looked at J'zargo. Brelyna nodded.

"Vonkur was still the best, though…" she mumbled.

Onmund turned his head in her direction, smirking a little. "You mean his magic or personality?" he teased. The female Dunmer next to him froze immediately, her face turning a little pink.

"M-magic," she quickly said, making Onmund chuckle more.

"You sure?" he asked, still smirking. "I think he was a great guy. He helped me get my amulet back." The young mage looked back at J'zargo. "He even helped Mr. Big Ego here."

Brelyna giggled. Fortunately for both of them, the explosions J'zargo's fireballs caused blocked the remark from reaching the Khajiit's ears. He was arguably the most skilled student of the College, second only to Vonkur.

Vonkur – who had later revealed himself to be Dragonborn – was indeed exceptionally gifted. Everyone knows that becoming a master mage would usually take years, if not decades. Vonkur became one after just over _one year_ , eventually learning spells beyond even the skills of the College's scholars. He was a prodigy, yet he was modest, having willingly helped the other students with their problems or experiments and having refused the title of Arch-Mage – much to the Psijic Order's dismay – allowing Tolfdir to rise to the rank instead.

The Dragonborn had then left the College in search of adventure and problems to solve like he had always done. The others tried to convince him to stay, saying that saving the world from Alduin's maw, destroying the group of shadowy assassins known as the Dark Brotherhood and preventing the first, power-mad Dragonborn from returning to rule Tamriel and brainwash or kill its people were enough good deeds for twenty lifetimes. Vonkur had disagreed, however, stating that there was always more to be done, and that he couldn't stand by while Skyrim destroyed itself after Alduin and Miraak had that opportunity taken away from them.

"Really a shame that he left…" Onmund mumbled, suddenly serious. The powerful yet selfless Vonkur had proven to be a good friend to all of them – even Tolfdir, whose alembic would've stayed lost were it not for the Dragonborn's help. He even risked his life trying to get Enthir to give Onmund back his amulet, J'zargo, whose magical scrolls put the user more in danger than its supposed victims, and Brelyna, when she needed someone willing to be a test subject for a spell she was practicing.

The door to the Hall of the Elements suddenly opened, revealing Nirya. She was out of breath, and hastily entered the room. Faralda – who had been assigned to watch the three students – gave the intruder a confused look, with Onmund, Brelyna and J'zargo doing the same. Nirya, a rather ambitious and overly confident Altmer woman who seems to have a beef with Faralda and a talent of self-promotion that could rival J'zargo's ego, glared in return, still trying to catch her breath.

"I'm sure you have a good reason as to why you're intruding my lessons," Faralda calmly said. Nirya's glare only intensified in response before she started speaking.

"Winter…hold…is under…attack…" she panted. "Black…knight…"

The eyes of everybody else in the room widened and a silence fell, with Nirya's gradually steadying breath being the only noise.

"What?" Onmund suddenly said. "What do you mean, a 'black knight'?"

"Someone in black armor is killing everybody," Nirya deadpanned. "Is that enough information?"

"We need to do something!" Brelyna said in an alarmed voice. Faralda looked at her and the other students.

"Warn the others," she said, her voice firm but still calm. "Nirya and I are going to fight this black knight until the other scholars arrive. You three stay here and keep yourselves safe."

"Why?" J'zargo protested. "J'zargo wants to fight."

"Do as I say!" Faralda ordered. "This is no College business like the Eye of Magnus was! We don't know how powerful this person is."

* * *

The knight in black armor violently slashed his sword through the air with one hand as he used the other one to shoot a violent beam of lightning, killing whoever was hit in seconds. Behind him, dead, unmoving bodies with lethal injuries, missing limbs or missing heads were sprayed over the snowy ground, making the prospect of fighting this unidentified force all the more frightening.

Nirya and Faralda looked at it from a distance, horrified by the destruction this thing had already brought. The Jarl's Longhouse was set on fire, likely because of the ruthless and unending stream of magic the black knight used to kill anyone who would be too far away to kill with a sword. The ground was littered with corpses, and the few guards that were left barely stood a chance against the strong armor, sword and magic of their attacker. Each time they landed a hit, the creature barely flinched before returning the attack with ten times as much strength.

"You!"

The mages looked at an approaching guard. His armor was damaged, but he himself appeared to be unharmed. He pointed an accusing finger at them.

"You two know more about this?" he asked in a voice that matched said finger.

Faralda shook her head. "No," she replied in her calm yet firm voice. "We came here to help."

The guard lowered his finger. "You better start helping, then. Maybe magic will put this monster into the ground."


	3. Aftermath

_Chapter three: Aftermath_

 **Winterhold**

It was deadly quiet in Winterhold.

The undisturbed silence that one could initially perceive as tranquil and peaceful would immediately be corrupted when the bodies would be shown to whoever was to visit the town.

There were no survivors. And there was no evil knight.

"Looks clear," Onmund said. "By the gods…everyone's dead."

He, Brelyna and J'zargo entered Winterhold via the bridge that connected the College with the city. A few hours prior, the trio had warned the College's scholars like Faralda had ordered them to. Upon receiving the information about the knight, they told the students to stay in the building until it was safe to come out.

Said students had complied with great reluctance, and waited several hours in the Arch-Mage's quarters until their patience had run out entirely. When that happened, they had left for Winterhold.

And now they were here, shocked at the army of bodies that littered the ground.

However, the _real_ shock was yet to come.

Onmund let his eyes hover over the terrible sight. Bodies of men, women and children were motionlessly lying on the ground. Birna, Dagur, Assur, Jarl Korir…

The mage froze when he saw four familiar bodies among them, about ten meters away from him.

They belonged to Nirya, Faralda, Tolfdir and Urag gro-Shub.

"Onmund?" Brelyna said. Onmund didn't respond. The Dunmer followed his gaze, and her eyes went wide when she saw what he was looking at.

Her hand covered her mouth in shock as tears started to well up.

J'zargo stood next to the two others, having already noticed what their gazes were focused on. The usually ambitious Khajiit was quiet for once in a while as he silently mourned with his fellow students.

After a while, Onmund started to walk towards the bodies. His feet felt like lead to him. He slowly dragged them off the ground each time before taking a step. The others eventually decided to go after him with an equally slow pace.

Once he was near the bodies, Onmund fell to his knees and closed his eyes in sorrow. He made a quick prayer, hoping that these brave people's souls would be welcomed in Sovngarde or whatever afterlife they would turn out to go to.

Brelyna was trying to keep her crying as silent as she could. J'zargo's tail had drooped to the snowy ground, ignoring the searing cold. The atmosphere was no longer horrifying: it was depressing.

"Ugh…"

The trio jumped when they heard a groan from right in front of them. Onmund's eyes flew open and he stood up in an instant before looking at where it came from.

It took him a few seconds to realize that Faralda was staring right at the three. Despite her unmoving figure and the stab wound in her side, she was definitely alive.

"Faralda!" Brelyna cried as she kneeled next to her teacher. "Stay awake! We'll heal this."

"Already tried…" Faralda muttered. "No…*cough*…no magic we have…can…heal this…"

"There's got to be something we can do!" Onmund said.

"Yes…" the Altmer coughed. "Find…Vonkur…if anyone…can stop this…knight…it's him…"

"We can't simply leave you here…" J'zargo futilely objected.

Faralda tightly closed her eyes in pain and increased the power in her grip on her wound. "Go!" she blurted out. "That's…an order…!"

Then, her eyelids relaxed and she drew her last breath.

"No!" Brelyna cried. "No no no…"

A golden light orb of magic appeared in the Dunmer's, which she in turn held above Faralda's wound. Elegant swirls of a similar light appeared and surrounded said wound, but to no avail. It was as the Altmer had said: healing magic was not effective.

This didn't stop Brelyna from continuing to try, however.

"Brelyna…" Onmund softly said.

"Give me a hand here!" Brelyna yelled. "We need to-"

"We need to find Vonkur," J'zargo interrupted, his voice determined. "As much as J'zargo hates to say it, there is nothing more we can do except for what our teacher told us to do."

Onmund nodded sadly. "He's right, Brelyna," he softly said. "More people might die if we don't do something. And Vonkur is stronger than any of us. Maybe he'll stand a chance against whatever that thing was."

Brelyna silently looked at them. Her expression emphasized her reluctance to leave the dead to rest, but she knew that Onmund and J'zargo were telling the truth: it was all they could do.

She looked back at Faralda's corpse…

…and the healing spell slowly faded.


	4. Quest

**Hey fellows, sorry for the wait. I got an exam week coming up, causing my time to write to be significantly reduced. I'm also working on another story, that has not been published yet.**

 **Also, sorry for the short chapter. None of the other ideas I had would fit in.**

* * *

 _Chapter four: Quest_

 **Whiterun**

A tall Nord with dark blonde hair was walking through the streets of Whiterun. The Nord possessed light blue eyes that gave off a serene vibe, despite the three small scars under the left one. His armor consisted of iron gauntlets and boots, combined with studded armor. He also possessed an iron helmet, which he had momentarily taken off. A steel sword was dangling at his side, and a banded iron shield was resting on his back.

The Nord – Vonkur was his name – was followed by a dark-haired woman who seemed to be about his age, if not slightly younger. She, too, had a steel sword, but unlike the man she was following, she wore steel armor.

The woman's name was Lydia, Vonkur's housecarl and friend.

When Vonkur got the title of Thane of Whiterun bestowed upon him, Lydia was assigned to be his bodyguard. She behaved as such in the beginning, being rather subservient to the man. However, Vonkur wasn't one for formalities like that, and it didn't take long for them to be more than just master and servant. Now, they were great friends and siblings-in-arms.

Vonkur wasn't just a Thane, however. And he wasn't just a warrior. Or just a mage. He was…unique. Special. He had something that almost makes some people regard him as a god or demigod, while he himself keeps claiming that he's just a man with a loud voice. That's not how most would describe the Dragonborn, however.

The man was powerful. His skill in fighting was unmatched, and so was his magical power and potential. He was equally competent in archery, smithing, lockpicking and even stealth.

However, Vonkur only had two truly unique powers: one was the fact that he possessed a dragon soul. It was what made him Dragonborn, and what helped him defeat Alduin.

His second unique characteristic was his modesty, which despite his greatest and most heroic feats had managed to remain intact throughout his many quests. He never liked it when people honored him as 'the legendary Dragonborn'. He wanted to be seen as a normal man who just fought for what he believed in. Ironically, it was that specific desire that made him even more special.

The two had visited the general good store a day ago, having sold some gems and jewels they had found in dungeons, caves and ruins. After that, they decided to get some sleep before their next journey. Now, they were about to leave Whiterun to find some more challenges to find and sights to see.

Lydia picked up her pace until she was walking next to the Thane, and looked at him questioningly. "Where are we going to go?" she asked. "Got any plans?"

Vonkur hrmmm'd as he thoughtfully looked at the path ahead. His housecarl, eager for a response but not wanting to pressure him was relieved when the Dragonborn spoke up before long.

"I've heard rumors of some kind of evil knight that's been terrorizing several cities," he mused. "Maybe we should check out the damage to see if it's real. If it is, we're going to try to stop it." He looked at the woman beside him. "You in?"

Lydia smiled. "Where are we headed?"

"Winterhold," Vonkur replied. "The knight's most recent target. I have a lot of friends there and I want to make sure they're alright." His expression became slightly worried. "I mean, even if the rumors are true, the mages of the College probably would've been able to stop it. I just want to be sure…"

"I can understand that," Lydia sincerely said. "Let's go."

It was Vonkur's turn to smile now. "Glad you're so eager."

Lydia chuckled. "Of course. I have someone reliable to watch my back."

They both laughed at the irony of that.


	5. Discovery

**Good news: exam week is over.**

 **Bad news: assignments that take my spare time.**

* * *

 _Chapter five: Discovery_

 **Nightgate Inn, The Pale**

"What do we do first?" Onmund asked his fellow mages. "Where to start? He could be anywhere."

"We should visit some of the cities for answers," Brelyna replied. "He's pretty well-known. Maybe someone's seen him recently."

"It'll take a while to find that someone," J'zargo objected. "And Winterhold is probably not the only city that's been attacked."

"So we need to know which aren't attacked and go to those," Onmund concluded.

"But how do we get from city to city quickly?" Brelyna asked. "Even with a carriage it could take days."

The three fell silent as the same thought went through their minds: there were just too many obstacles between them and finding Vonkur. It was nearly impossible; him being an adventurer could literally be anywhere in Skyrim, if he hadn't already left it. They knew about his journeys to Solstheim, and hiring a boat to go there wasn't cheap.

Onmund swore under his breath.

* * *

 **Just outside Winterhold**

"Huh…" Vonkur suddenly muttered as he and Lydia walked down the path that led to their destination. Winterhold wasn't in sight yet, but he knew they were getting close. It was only a few more steps and the once great city would be revealed to them.

Lydia looked at him. "Yeah…isn't there supposed to be a guard patrolling here? On this path?"

The Dragonborn slowly nodded in response before picking up his pace, with his housecarl doing the same.

It was only a few meters ahead of them. A few meters before they could finally know why the guard was missing and where those rumors about some demon terrorizing the place had come from.

Only three steps now before they could get a proper view of Winterhold.

Two steps…

One…

Vonkur gasped upon seeing the results of the massacre.

The town was dead quiet. Dead bodies were sprawled over the ground. A smell of blood hung in the air. The damage that was done to the buildings ranged from several burns to having collapsed completely.

The duo froze.

After what seemed like an eternity, Vonkur started walking – no, _running_ – to the city.

* * *

 **Nightgate Inn, The Pale**

"So Dawnstar's been attacked too?" Onmund asked.

The man he was talking to – an Orsimer by the name of Balagog gro-Nolob who wasn't willing to speak much at first – nodded.

"That's what they say," he replied. "The entire city was destroyed by some dark force or something. I don't know much about it, but the only survivors seem to be the Jarl and some miners." He shrugged. "That's all I know."

Onmund turned to his fellow students, who had been listening to the Orc as well. The trio shared worried looks, knowing that this Black Knight was likely not going to stop here. With no idea where he was at or what he was planning, there was literally nothing they could do to save or warn the other cities.

"If only Vonkur were here," Brelyna sighed. "He'd probably know what to do."

Balagog suddenly looked at her. "Vonkur? Vonkur the Dragonborn? I was standing outside a while ago and saw him run by."

The students' heads turned to him with eyes wide.

The Orc chuckled nervously. "Y-yeah. I know him, too. He's a friend of mine. Sometimes stops by at this place with his housecarl-"

"Where was he headed?!" J'zargo interrupted.


	6. Reunion

**trueGeek:** _I'm glad to hear that you like it! I'll try to make future chapters longer, but the problem with this story is that I don't know how to add more stuff in the chapters after writing a certain amount. I don't know if I can fulfill your wish, but I'll do what I can!_

 _Also, now that you mention it, I totally forgot to give Vonkur some good old flaws! My bad! Thanks for reminding me about that. I hope the flaws I've given him now will fit in decently with what I've already written about him. They may seem contradictory at first, though. If it's not good enough, maybe I'll do some rewriting in previous chapters._

 _The flaws probably won't become clear in this chapter, however._

* * *

 _Chapter six: Reunion _

The three students of the College of Winterhold were running through the snowy area, heading for the very city they had vacated only recently. They had left for Winterhold immediately after the Orc at Nightgate Inn had informed them of Vonkur's possible whereabouts, and had nearly forgotten to pay for their drinks. Fortunately, an annoyed Hadring reminded them.

The three had gone out the door right after Onmund had hastily thrown an excess of Septims on the counter, and now they were discussing their current situation while attempting to ignore the cold snow and freezing wind.

"What do we do when we find Vonkur?" Brelyna questioned.

J'zargo didn't look at her. "You mean _if_ we find him," he firmly said. "We know him; he probably left already."

"If Vonkur's seen what happened in Winterhold, he'll probably go after the thing that did it anyway," Onmund said.

"If he knew where to look," J'zargo objected.

"He caught that killer in Windhelm."

"Skyrim is a lot bigger than Windhelm!"

"He killed that Ebony Warrior."

"That was different! The Ebony Warrior _challenged_ him!"

Onmund wanted to protest, but he knew the Khajiit was right. As far as they knew, Vonkur never had to search all of Skyrim to find one creature before in his life. So far, the Black Knight's attacks seemed random: they had no way to predict his next move.

The silence that followed was broken by Brelyna.

"We have to stay optimistic," she timidly said. "If Vonkur-"

J'zargo stopped walking. "Optimistic?!" he hissed. "What's optimism going to do?! How is it going to stop this thing?!"

Onmund gave him a glare. "If you just want to give up, go ahead! I'm not going to let Skyrim fall that easily!"

"And what're you going to do, huh?" the Khajiit retorted.

The Nord initially remained silent as his anger remained clear on his face. After a few seconds, he turned back towards their goal and continued walking, no longer looking at J'zargo.

"I'm going to do whatever I can," he replied.

* * *

The tense silence that had fallen after Onmund's argument with J'zargo made Brelyna feel nervous and guilty; she felt like she was the one who started it, as she was the one who had mentioned being optimistic. She only wanted to help by giving the others some hope, even though she herself sort of agreed with J'zargo: hope wasn't going to do anything.

On the other hand, she wasn't going to give up on the world, either. If there was even the slightest chance that Vonkur was in Winterhold, she'd go for it without hesitation.

However, there was something that had been bothering her the entire time. From the moment she learned about the Black Knight and how powerful he was, something had been constantly instilling fear into her mind. She had made several attempts to bury it, but it kept clinging to the back of her brain.

What if even Vonkur wasn't powerful enough to defeat this thing? What if defeating it at all wasn't a matter of power, but of something else entirely that they had no idea of? What if it was under Daedric protection or something? Even the legendary Dragonborn couldn't beat that. He was powerful, but no god. Sure, he defeated Alduin, the Nordic god of destruction, but that didn't make him all-powerful.

It was weird to think that someone she considered to be invincible could be killed just as easily as anyone. Whether it be by an overwhelming number of bandits, age or supernatural causes. Of course, Vonkur was probably just another mortal to the Daedra, even if he managed to refrain from falling for their enticing pacts and all that.

She just hoped that when he died, he'd find his way to a good afterlife…

"There it is!" Onmund exclaimed. "Winterhold!"

Upon hearing that, the three went for a sprint towards the fallen capital. Ignoring the pain their stiff bodies suffered and trying their best not to sink into the snow on the ground every step, the students kept running until they were near the city.

"I can see him!" Onmund yelled.

* * *

Vonkur's head snapped to the right upon hearing the familiar voice. He froze and blinked a few times, before taking a step towards the figure that stood there.

"On…mund?" he almost whispered.

The figure – it was undoubtedly Onmund – was quickly joined by two other familiar people: a Khajiit and a Dunmer.

Vonkur continued moving towards the figures, his face possessing an incredulous expression. As the distance between him and the students became smaller and smaller, his speed only increased. The trio did the same by moving towards Vonkur, all three with mixed feelings.

Hidden in J'zargo's relief was anger. The stigma of his argument with Onmund was still present for him, and the Dragonborn being right there disproved his point. Of course, he was glad that they finally found a way to destroy the Black Knight, but he really wasn't looking forward to how Onmund was going to hold the stubborn Khajiit's lack of faith against him.

Brelyna felt fear. Fear for Skyrim and Vonkur. If the Nord hero really wasn't strong enough to stop this destructive force that had been terrorizing the place, everyone would be doomed – including Vonkur himself and possibly all of Tamriel. Maybe all of Nirn.

Onmund had awe. Despite him being friends with Vonkur, the College student somehow felt like he just met a completely new person. It had been a while since Vonkur had seen any of them, and while he hadn't changed much in appearance, his current aura held more…wisdom. Sure, he was always one for that kind of thing, but he seemed a lot older than when the Dragonborn himself was a student. And it had only been just over a year.

As the three rushed forward to meet with their friend, Lydia was standing behind her master. She, too, experienced mixed feelings. Of course, she was glad that at least they were alive and able to meet with Vonkur. But there was something that bothered her. Why did they come back to Winterhold? Were they looking for the Dragonborn specifically? And if so, why? Did they think he'd be able to kill whatever caused this?

Were they correct in that respect?

* * *

The reunion didn't last too long. While Vonkur cared about the lives of his friends, he had to know what caused this and how to end it. He was horrified of what they told him: an unstoppable being whose face was concealed by its helmet and whose skill in combat and magic appeared unmatched.

It did, however, motivate him even more to kill that force.

"We're going to have to find it first," he said. "We'll also need a plan and extra help. I'd say we head to Windhelm to plan all that. Maybe I can convince Ulfric to lend us some of his troops."

The Dragonborn looked in the direction of the city he mentioned. "I just hope that that stubborn fool will listen…"


	7. Alliance

**Sorry for the wait. Exam week and all. Is finally done, though.**

* * *

 _Chapter seven: Alliance_

"I don't trust this," General Tullius said as he looked down at the map in front of him. "This Black Knight…it could mean the death of all of us."

"But sir…" Legate Rikke replied. "So far, this knight's only been attacking the cities that support the Stormcloaks. I don't think we'll need to fear this…thing."

Tullius looked up at her. "So what, you think they're on our side somehow? If they wanted to fight for the Legion, they should've applied. Besides…" his expression turned into a scowl. "…they haven't just been killing Stormcloaks."

Rikke sighed. That was true; many citizens had also fallen victim to the Black Knight's rampage. Citizens that weren't Stormcloaks.

"All I'm saying is that they haven't attacked the Imperial cities yet, and maybe it never will," the Legate clarified.

"That doesn't justify the fact that he took down countless of innocents," Tullius objected. "If he wants to kill Ulfric and the Stormcloaks, that's fine. Let him. But the people of Skyrim are a different story."

"Sir…"

Before Rikke could say anything else, an Imperial soldier entered the room, drawing the attention of both the General and the Legate.

"Sir," he said in a deep voice. "There is a soldier from the Rift Imperial Camp who needs to speak with you."

"I'm busy," Tullius said.

"He says it's important, sir. And urgent."

The General sighed. "Fine, let him in. But tell him to be quick about it."

"Yes, sir."

The soldier left the room, leaving the doors open. Mere seconds later, another soldier walked through them.

He looked terrible: his leather armor had many tears in it, revealing the sloppily bandaged scars underneath. His face was full of blood and dirt, and his eyes made him look like a man who had seen a ghost – which he probably had.

"What in Oblivion happened to you, soldier?" Tullius asked. "Is the Camp alright?"

The soldier shook his head. "No, sir. We've been attacked. I think I'm the only survivor."

"Who attacked you?" Tullius urged. "The Stormcloaks?"

"No, sir. This was not a Stormcloak attack. It was a single person."

"What did they look like?"

"I couldn't see their face, sir. All I know is that they had a type of armor we had never seen before." The soldier's hand gravitated to one of the injuries on his chest. "The armor was black. As if it had been forged out of…nothingness.

"They ambushed us out of nowhere. No survivors as far as I know. I'm pretty sure the whole camp's been destroyed."

Tullius took a breath and briefly looked at Rikke before turning his attention back to the soldier.

"Thank you, soldier. You're dismissed."

"Sir," the soldier said. "There's more. I later saw them again from a distance. They didn't see me, but I was sure I saw them walk in the direction of Whiterun."

As the soldier left, the General glared at his subordinate. "You think we should try to stop it now?"

"Sir," Rikke calmly said. "It moved from Winterhold to Riften in little to no time. We might be dealing with more than one."

"Or it can just travel extremely fast. Either way, all of Skyrim suffers from this thing's actions. I think the only thing we can do at this point is contact Ulfric and see if he's willing to work with us to end this thing."

The Legate gave him an incredulous look. "You want to make an alliance with Ulfric?"

"I don't _want_ to do it, but I don't see any other way." He said before grabbing a piece of charcoal and paper.

* * *

 _Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm,_

 _As you may have noticed, several cities of Skyrim have suffered attacks from a seemingly unstoppable force. This force appears as a knight or soldier, protected by black armor of unknown origin and material, and has single-handedly murdered countless citizens, guards and soldiers._

 _While this being appears immune to harm, I, General Tullius of the Imperial Legion, must ask for your assistance in ending its rampage. We have reason to believe that its next target is Whiterun, and it will likely not stop there. We know next to nothing about it, but with your help, we may be able to take it down._

 _If you allow this temporary alliance to be forged, it will benefit not only both armies, but also all citizens who would otherwise perish by this Black Knight's blade._

 _Send your answer before Whiterun is hit._

 _General Tullius, Imperial commander and military governor of Skyrim._


	8. Threat

**For goodness' sakes, I just can't friggin' write long chapters for this story without degrading the chapter's quality! I apologize for this, but look on the bright side: chapters can be more frequent this way.**

 **Besides, I am currently working on more stories. And now that** ** _The Secrets A Restaurant Hides_** **and** ** _Ghosts of the Past_** **are done, I have more time to work on those stories** ** _and_** **this one.**

 **However, my two most major enemies here are school (I have some tests to make) and being mentally tired while trying to somewhat weaken my addiction to coffee. In addition, I sometimes feel like watching videos, movies or just play more games.**

 **Either way, I hope I can get the next chapter soon – and that it'll be longer and of better quality.**

* * *

 _Chapter eight: Threat_

 _Balgruuf the Greater, Jarl of Whiterun,_

 _This message is sent with high urgency, as we have reason to believe that an extremely powerful being is headed for your city. It is the same being responsible for the destruction of Dawnstar and Winterhold, and so far all our attempts to destroy it have been in vain. The only survivors are people who were smart or lucky enough to have escaped this creature's relentless rampage, and our reports show that its next possible target is Whiterun._

 _As you are reading this letter, it may already be near your city. This being has urged the Stormcloaks and the Imperials to forge a temporary alliance, and all we need now is your permission to enter the city. Jarl Ulfric and I have already sent troops to Whiterun._

 _Be careful: if you see what appears to be a knight in black armor of unknown matter, do not attack or try to communicate with it in any way._

 _General Tullius, Imperial commander and military governor of Skyrim._

* * *

 **Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm**

"Elda."

The innkeeper of Candlehearth Hall looked to her right to see the owner of the familiar voice, who turned out to be Vonkur: a well-known man who had already visited the place several times. Along with him were his housecarl, as well as three other people Elda didn't recognize.

"Elda, do you have any idea where Ulfric currently is?" Vonkur asked. "I need to talk to him."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure. As if I know where the great leader of the Stormcloak Rebellion is. What do you think, of course I don't know where he is!"

Vonkur sighed and turned to his friends. "Sounds like she's in a regular mood."

"We've already checked all of Windhelm," Lydia said. "Even Jorleif wasn't sure where he was. What do we do now?"

The Dragonborn shrugged. "I don't know. At any other time I'd say we go to Solitude to ask Tullius for help, but I doubt we have enough time to do that before the Black Knight destroys all of Skyrim."

"What're y'all goin' on about?" Elda asked. "Aren't you goin' to order somethin'?"

Vonkur turned back to her, slightly annoyed. "You don't happen to have heard anything new, do you?"

"What?"

"You heard any rumors lately?"

"Oh, right," the innkeeper said with sudden glee. "I actually did hear some juicy stuff."

"Did it involve a seemingly unstoppable force of destruction going around Skyrim and killing everyone and everything he comes across?" the Dragonborn deadpanned, expecting another sarcastic remark as a response.

Contrary to his expectations however, Elda smirked. "Yes, actually. Apparently, a big group o' Stormcloaks are headin' to Whiterun, where they're gonna fight alongside the Imperials to kill that thing that you just pretty much described."

Vonkur's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah. Some others say that the thing annihilated Dawnstar and Winterhold not long ago."

"You think Ulfric went with the soldiers heading to Whiterun?"

"I dunno. That's all I—…hey, where you goin'?!" she called when the group of four suddenly left the inn.

"I guess now we know where to go," Vonkur growled. "Darn. Getting to Whiterun on foot is one thing, but with a time limit?"

"Maybe the soldiers won't need our help," Brelyna quickly said. "If the Stormcloaks _and_ the Imperials are going to fight it together, maybe they can kill it."

"Tolfdir couldn't kill it," J'zargo hissed. "Nirya, Faralda, Urag…and they were powerful."

"This is a different story," Onmund pensively said. "Numbers can overwhelm, after all…"

"We can't take the risk," Vonkur said. "Whether we'll get there in time or not, we have to kill it." He sighed. "They say that I'm the most powerful mage and the most skilled warrior in Skyrim. Let's see if that's still the case."

"But Vonkur…" Brelyna said. "What if you can't kill it? What if it's Daedric or something?"

"I've defied the Daedra before," the Dragonborn replied. "And if they had this kind of influence on this world, it wouldn't go unnoticed…yet nobody knows where this thing came from." He looked at her. "Even if I can't kill it, I have to try."

Lydia gave a sad smile. "That's the Vonkur I know…"

Vonkur gave her a nod. "Alright, time to go. The more time I waste, the more likely Whiterun is to fall."

"'The more time _you_ waste?" Lydia asked. "You didn't think I was going to let you go alone, did you?"

"Or I," Onmund said. "You can't just go fight an invincible rogue on your own."

"Yeah!" Brelyna agreed. "I'm coming with you too!"

"We all seek glory, do we not?" J'zargo voiced. "You already have so much of it, you should let us take some now."

Vonkur sighed. "Look, guys…"

"Don't 'look' us," Lydia interrupted. "You can't just tell us to back off and cover our heads while you fight this Black Knight."

The Dragonborn sighed again before chuckling. "I can't talk you out of this, can I?"

"No, you can't," Onmund confirmed.

Vonkur smiled. "Okay, then…" he turned to the huge gate that served as Windhelm's main entrance. "Then…let _us_ not waste any more time."

* * *

 **Just outside Whiterun**

Tullius and Ulfric stood near the entrance of Whiterun, giving orders to several of their soldiers while the guards of the city made preparations of their own. The civilians had been sent to Dragonsreach for protection.

When almost everyone stood in their position, the two army leaders were approached by Caius, the commander of the Whiterun guard.

"We're all set, sirs," he said. "But no sign of this…Black Knight of yours."

His indifferent and slightly accusing voice made Tullius shoot him a death glare. "If you think this is just some trick to intimidate Balgruuf into finally taking a side, you're wrong. I'd gladly kill Ulfric any chance I'd get if it weren't for this."

"Besides…" Ulfric spoke up. "I don't think either of us are interested in sharing control over the city."

" _You_ said it was heading here," Caius reminded them. "If that's true, then where is it?"

Tullius fully turned to him, ready to put the man in place when a soldier suddenly cried out.

"I see something!" the soldier called. "I think it's here!"

Upon hearing that, the three commanders looked where the soldier was pointing to see what appeared to be a person with black armor, slowly approaching the city from far away.


	9. Arrival

_Chapter nine: Arrival_

 **Eight hours later**

 **Dragonsreach, Whiterun**

"Put everything we've got in front of those doors!" Tullius ordered. "We can't let this thing get through!"

"Sir," a soldier said. "We're running out of objects to block the door with…and it won't be long before _it_ breaks those doors down."

"Do something about it! Ask Balgruuf if he's got a hidden stash of steel chairs or something!"

"Already did, sir. There's nothing."

The Black Knight had been able to push the soldiers back to Dragonsreach, using both its power and its smarts.

The first half of the battle seemed to start in the city's advantage: few deaths fell, and even the powerful Knight wasn't able to score many hits on its enemies. However, due to it being extremely durable and its apparently limitless stamina, it had continued fighting until the first waves of soldiers that were sent its way had become tired and unable to fight properly.

From there, everything went downhill. The weakened soldiers were cut down with relative ease despite their quantity, and their backups had to get into action quickly. They eventually got tired as well; some of them got killed, others had to make place for the other backups.

That cycle went on and on until what was left of the armies had to hide in the Jarl's castle, though not before Tullius and Ulfric secretly sent messages to their respective cities, asking for more soldiers.

Now, the Knight was attacking the front door with all its power, as evidenced by the _crack_ s and _boom_ s that made the building shake.

"Balgruuf!" Ulfric called. "You have to have something else that can help us!"

"Dragonsreach was built to capture dragons, not to keep out demons!" the Jarl of Whiterun shot back. "We have to evacuate one way or another!"

"Soldier!" Tullius said to one of his subordinates upon hearing that. "Try to find some way out of here – and if you can't find one, _make_ one!"

"Yes, sir!" the soldier replied before leaving.

Tullius looked at Ulfric. "Never thought I'd die right next to my nemesis."

"Neither did I," the rebellion leader admitted. "But I refuse to die without honor." His hand gravitated towards his sword. "I don't care if that thing is unstoppable; once it gets through here, I'll fight!"

"Right with you, Ulfric," Tullius said. "We all are."

The two glanced at one another with something they never thought they'd share: respect.

And then, the assault on the front doors stopped.

Silence.

Everyone looked at the barricade they had set up, which had been relentlessly assaulted by their enemy until a mere moment ago.

* * *

Vonkur and the rest of the group were shocked, though not necessarily surprised, to see that the body count had risen to dramatic levels once they entered the city. Whiterun guards, Stormcloaks and Imperial soldiers lay motionless on the ground scorched, stabbed, slashed and/or frozen to death. The Black Knight had struck.

What scared them was the deafening silence that ruled over the area. No civilians could be seen among the corpses, and yet nobody was anywhere to be found. Had they fled? Had the Black Knight killed them in their houses? No, that couldn't be right. At least some of them would've participated in the battle.

"We need to find it!" Vonkur ordered.

"What do you want to do, split up?" J'zargo scoffed.

"That might actually be a plan," Lydia said. "If one of us finds them, they'll just have to alert Vonkur."

"You'd be dead before you could move," Onmund blurted out. "That thing…"

"That thing must have a weakness," the Dragonborn interrupted. "Everything has."

"But Vonkur…" Brelyna said. "What if even you—"

"I told you, I've defied gods before – and I can do it again." Vonkur gestured to the door they just came through. "You should wait outside. Keep an eye out for the thing, and if you find it, inform me. That's an order."

"What're you going to do!?" Brelyna asked.

The Dragonborn gave a cocky smirk, the type of which Lydia had seen several times before.

"I'm going to kill it."

His housecarl sighed inwardly. This was one thing Vonkur always fell for: despite his modesty, he usually became oddly confident when he was about to fight another powerful creature or person. It had become a bad habit: since he had killed so many beings that other people claimed to be 'invincible', he probably thought this was just another 'quest'.

It wasn't necessarily unjustified: he had killed Alduin, destroyed the Dark Brotherhood, defeated his predecessor Miraak, gone against the will of the Daedra several times and so on. Every one of those deeds had something new in them: whether that involved destroying a destruction god or completely obliterating several skilled assassins didn't matter: he had done it, and now he'd do it again.

Or, at least, that was the plan.

"That's not what we agreed upon," Lydia voiced.

"I gave you an order."

"You don't have authority over us," J'zargo countered.

"When Skyrim faces a threat as great like this, I think I've gained at least _some_ authority," Vonkur shot back. He then looked at Lydia. "Lydia, you've gone with me on almost every quest I've had; that makes you a skilled warrior. And if you three…" he looked at the College students, "…combine your power, you should at least be able to fend him off briefly."

"But—"

"This is the closest thing I have to a tactic! Now go!"

And with that, the group split up, albeit reluctantly.

Vonkur turned around to gaze upon the city, thinking about where he should start searching. His mind immediately went to the Cloud District: if there was nobody here, maybe the civilians hid in Dragonsreach.

Only hoping for his hypothesis to be correct, Vonkur started walking towards the castle in a fast pace.

He felt his palms sweat as he made his way up the stairs that led to his goal.

And once he was there…

The Black Knight – who had been relentlessly attacking the apparently reinforced doors – froze when the scraping sound of Vonkur drawing his sword filled the air.

* * *

 **Again, a short chapter! Sorry…**


	10. Battle

**Pokemark17:** _You can't? Why? Are short chapters that bad?_ _Or is it another reason that I don't know about? Regardless, I'll try to make future chapters larger, but 2k is a bit much for chapters of this story: like I said before, I cannot extend them without degrading the quality._

 **MASTER-OF-SURPRISE:** _Thank you! I'm glad and kind of relieved to read that. To me, it felt like this story had become…well…not good. Knowing that people think differently about that gives me additional motivation to keep writing it._

 **ATTENTION! EXAM WEEK IMMINENT!**

* * *

 _Chapter ten: Battle_

The tension grew between the two warriors as both made final preparations for the battle, all the while holding their gazes fixed on one another. The tip of Vonkur's sword was threateningly resting on the ground below, creating cuts in the wood of the small bridge in front of him.

The Black Knight stood frozen, its eyes invisibly looking at the Dragonborn through that featureless, bloodstained helmet. Its stance and lack of movement made it almost seem like it was admiring its enemy, as if it knew that Vonkur was stronger than any other fighter it had encountered – which it probably did.

Vonkur had put on his own helmet, and was now looking back at the steadfast force of destruction that had caused so much suffering to Skyrim. The lack of knowledge about this thing's origin, combined with the massively powerful abilities it had displayed during its rampage should've caused any other warrior to shake in their boots.

Seeing the creature in person, however, only made Vonkur feel rage. He felt it twist his face into a dark, vengeful glare as he aggressively continued to cut his sword into the bridge and slowly took his shield from his back.

The Black Knight didn't show any reaction.

Silence.

Then, as if some kind of nonverbal agreement had been made, the two warriors walked forward.

Vonkur raised his blade, his anger and determination active like never before as he slowly advanced on his prey, which in turn advanced on him.

The two opponents stopped walking when there was but a meter and a half of distance between them.

They raised their swords above their heads…

And the battle began as the two pieces of metal clashed, followed by a discharge of stabs and slashes.

* * *

"Alright!" Lydia called. "We should start patrolling near the farms first: if this thing—"

"This is idiotic!" J'zargo interrupted. "What can we hope to do against this thing out here?!"

"We shouldn't've left Vonkur there!" Brelyna said, aghast.

"You got better plans?!" Lydia shouted. "Vonkur gave us our orders, and if the Black Knight is no longer in the city—"

"Then we should be safe there while we plan our next move!" Onmund objected. "If it's not in the city, why would it be here?! For Divines' sakes—"

"And what would our next move be?! Wait until we find another rumor about where it might've gone?! We got lucky this time!"

"But Vonkur—" Brelyna began.

"It's war now!" Lydia reminded her. "Not against an army! Not against rebels, not against some another nation, nothing like that! This is something we barely know anything about."

"Leaving others behind is not something most soldiers do…" Onmund mumbled.

"We're not soldiers!"

"But we are supposed to have Vonkur's back!"

"I agree," J'zargo voiced. "We might not be soldiers, but I doubt even Vonkur can do much against that thing without proper help."

The housecarl sighed.

* * *

A disarmed Vonkur jumped out of the way to dodge a fireball that was sent towards him. In retaliation, he raised his own hand to launch a burst of lightning bolts at the Knight, all of which missed the surprisingly agile creature by less than a centimeter. The Dragonborn then ran to where his sword had fallen on the ground, picked it up and turned back to his opponent, only to be struck in the chest with a lightning bolt himself.

The force the impact generated slightly lifted him off the ground, sending him crashing against the wrecked remnants of a house or shop. He staggered before raising his shield to block an incoming blow from the Knight's sword, and quickly readied his own weapon to stab his enemy in the abdomen.

His weapon was blocked by the powerful armor.

At once, the Black Knight brought its sword down on Vonkur's, shattering its opponent's steel blade. Shocked, Vonkur looked down at his destroyed weapon before dropping its handle and launching a fireball straight into the Knight's chest, blocking the explosion with his shield as the Knight was sent flying backwards and landed on its back.

The assault the Dragonborn's shield suffered so far, combined with the explosion from his own fireball had done its damage. The shield was close to breaking, and its owner wondered how long he was going to hold out with only his magic as a weapon.

He raised his shield once more to keep a surprisingly clumsy but powerful attack from slicing him in two, and kicked his enemy in the stomach with little effect. Expecting this, he bashed forward with his shield and into the Knight's face, again lacking decent results.

With its free hand, it fired another lightning spell, causing Vonkur to stagger and take a step back. An ice spike soon followed, hitting and piercing the Dragonborn's shoulder.

That cased a scream of pain and anger to escape Vonkur's throat. He dropped his shield, raised both of his hands despite the pain in his shoulder and, using his anger, launched a massive lightning storm against his enemy, sending the Knight flying up- and backwards until it crashed into the wall behind it.

Vonkur didn't allow his opponent to recover, however, and released another furious roar, followed by a fiery explosion that obliterated the remnants of the buildings around him and scorched the stone floor. The Knight was again hit by the attack, and seemed to feel not only the spell's searing heat, but also that of the Dragonborn's wrath directed at it.

As it was knocked through the wall behind it, the wall itself fell down, burying the knight under a thick layer of stone.

Having downed the warrior in black armor for now, the hero of Skyrim growled, grabbed the ice spike in his shoulder and swiftly pulled it out.

* * *

The lightning spell did not go unnoticed by Vonkur's companions, who were currently patrolling the local farms, as they turned their gazes to the city to see a bright light before it vanished. An explosion appeared mere seconds later, waking the group from their trance and prompting them to run towards Whiterun.

"What…was…that?" Brelyna panted as she ran.

"Master Destruction spells," Onmund, who was apparently used to running, said. "I just hope it was Vonkur who used them."

"Only one way to find out!" Lydia said. "In any case, we gotta help him!"

Once they were at the gate, Onmund didn't bother to open it with physical strength: he threw a powerful fireball at it, knocking the huge doors backwards and allowing free entrance for him and the group. Lydia immediately entered the city.

There, the group of four saw that something had blown a hole in a stone wall, its bricks lying on the ground near Belethor's shop. Something appeared to be buried underneath. Something moving.

A humanoid figure, clad in black armor, slowly stood up from underneath the rubble. Its armor was barely damaged, and there was nothing to indicate any emotion this entity may possess. When it stood upright, it turned its head to face the group.

Lydia drew her sword in the blink of an eye. Onmund, J'zargo and Brelyna were 'holding' their magical spells, ready to use them.

The Black Knight, whose sword lay behind him on the ground, took a step.

Then, a second figure appeared behind it, walking down the stairs and holding his wounded shoulder. Vonkur's face displayed tiredness and frustration, and his sword and shield were nowhere to be found.

The Knight, which hadn't noticed his opponent, took a step towards the group. Said group took a step back as a response.

A spell appeared in the mysterious entity's hand.

Then, the sound of a weapon being removed from under a group of bricks behind it made it turn around to see Vonkur holding a sword, made of a familiar black metal. The Dragonborn took a second to admire the strong but unusually lightweight weapon before focusing his attention on his enemy again. He readied the sword in a challenging manner.

Before the Knight could use its magic to keep its opponent at bay, an ice spike bounced off its armor from behind. He once again turned to the group, only to be hit with more Destruction spells. An arrow travelled the same way, breaking as it made contact with its cuirass.

The entity quickly threw a fireball towards the Dragonborn before doing the same against his other four opponents; none of them hit their target thanks to the wards and reflexes they possessed.

Desperately, the Knight turned to Vonkur.

And it was then that the hero of Skyrim stabbed his enemy through the chest with its own sword.


	11. Epilogue

_Epilogue _

The blade had been put through the now unmoving Black Knight's chest with a strength and rage only a powerful warrior could possess. Vonkur, beaten and with a wounded shoulder, was scowling in pain and anger. His hand was still closed around the black, gleaming sword's handle, and his opponent was completely frozen. The Dragonborn had won.

Time seemed to stand still with the Knight as patches of rust suddenly appeared on its armor, growing at a rapid pace and turning the armor's color into a dark brown. Dents began to appear and the unknown entity's tall stance slowly turned into a slouched and weakened one, as if its body was imploding.

Cracks could be heard and small, brown-colored pieces fell from the crumbling armor to the ground. The already emotionless helmet turned even more empty as the Knight's life faded, its seemingly nonexistent eyes disappearing from nonexistent sight.

The Black Knight turned into small particles of rusted black metal, each particle no bigger than a grain of sand or dust. The once impressive, powerful aura around it had vanished with its life. And now its armor, the only thing left between the Knight and complete annihilation, was mere seconds away from its transmutation into nothingness.

And then, all that was left of it was a pile of brown, extremely small pieces of metal on the ground.

Vonkur looked at the sword, and saw that it, too, was gone.

He closed his eyes and sighed in relief.

When he opened them, he looked directly to the group.

"We'll have to tell the Jarl that the Knight is dead."

* * *

The following days involved something Vonkur hadn't experienced in a long time: rest. True rest. Thanks to his magic, it didn't take long for him to recover from the physical injuries he had; it were the deeper cuts, the ones he couldn't reach, that tore him and so many other people apart.

The knowledge of the existence of such powerful creatures had caused many people to put less trust into the guards and armies, and several scholars had desperately been trying to do research on the Black Knight or anything related. Its origin, its very existence had not been explained yet, and the pile of rust that once was the evil entity didn't help much either. Obviously, if there were any answers, they'd be in the books or dungeons.

The worst scars by far were the losses of so many innocents. The people of Dawnstar and Winterhold were no more, and so many soldiers had lost their lives in the attempts to save Whiterun from suffering the same fate. The only consolation was that they'd be moving on to the afterlife, whether that be Sovngarde or something else.

The only truly positive thing was that the Civil War had eased a bit: several meetings had been held between the Imperials and the Stormcloaks, with both sides agreeing to help out with rebuilding the damaged parts of Skyrim to the best of their ability. Elenwen also attended to said meetings, but the only thing the Thalmor seemed to be concerned about was the possible return of the Knight or the rise of a similar threat.

Deep within their diplomatic talk, the Imperials, Stormcloaks and Thalmor hid something that only few people noticed: the armies of Skyrim had started to show more respect to one another, and the bitter enmity between Ulfric and Tullius had become slightly less potent. They would no longer throw insults to one another over the conference table like they did in High Hrothgar when the Dragonborn arranged a meeting between them during the Alduin matter.

The Thalmor seemed to be afraid of Vonkur: in spite of the Knight's abilities, it was Vonkur and his group that were responsible for its defeat. If they had the power to do even that, what was going to stop _them_ from destroying Skyrim? Or the Aldmeri Dominion?

Vonkur himself had chuckled at that when Hadvar informed him of the Thalmor's concern. "Destroy Skyrim? I'll pass. Destroying the Dominion? Maybe," he had humorously remarked.

He realized, however, that the Dominion's fear would put him and his companions in danger: if the Thalmor really were scared of them, the danger of abduction or assassination attempts would increase tenfold. Killing or taking Vonkur himself would prove to be a challenge for them; he had been targeted by several assassins, all of which had paid with their lives.

It were the College students that were in the greatest danger. All other College members were dead, so they had little protection to enjoy at the moment. They also had no place to hide, until Vonkur allowed them to move into his home in Raven Rock, which they did after attending to the dead College members' funerals. Vonkur himself made sure to inform Lleril Morvayn to prevent any possible misunderstandings.

That only left the Dragonborn and his housecarl, who were currently exploring another Nordic tomb in search of artifacts, fights against the undead and maybe, just maybe, some weird magical anomalies that would set them on another thing to do.

If their fears for the Dominion's plans were correct, the two heroes would have to watch their backs in the future.

* * *

 **End of the story. Hope the epilogue wasn't too disappointing.**

 **~F**


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